In a statement earlier in May the World Health Organization said: “The greatest global concern, however, is about the potential for this new virus to spread.

“This is partly because the virus has already caused severe disease in multiple countries, although in small numbers, and has persisted in the [Middle East] region since 2012.

“Of most concern, however, is the fact that the different clusters seen in multiple countries increasingly support the hypothesis that when there is close contact this novel coronavirus can transmit from person to person.”

In February, a patient died in a hospital in Birmingham, in the UK, after three members of the same family became infected.

It is thought a family member had picked up the virus while travelling to the Middle East and Pakistan.